Kadodia upset Durban City denied Motsepe trophy over Magawana issue

Durban City chair Farook Kadodia insists they registered Saziso Magawana properly, saying he is disappointed the Premier Soccer League (PSL) chose not to hand his team the trophy for winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) on Sunday.

City beat Cape Town Spurs 1-0 at Athlone Stadium on the final day of the MFC to clinch the title but were not crowned champions. This was because JDR Stars lodged a complaint against City months ago, arguing the KwaZulu-Natal side's talismanic winger Magawana, who played 27 games for them this season, was improperly registered.

“That is a huge disappointment for us and, again, it is one of the obstacles I believe are taking place. We have all the registrations done properly,” Kadodia said.

“There is no issue with our registrations, there is no fraud in this matter and I am still surprised people are trying to find how they can interfere and take the championship trophy away from us.

“We need to understand we have done nothing wrong. We followed the procedures of the PSL and got the player registered accordingly.”

The PSL said on Thursday it would not hand over the trophy due to some unresolved cases in front of its prosecutor Zola Majavu. Among those was the Magawana matter, which is expected to be heard by the PSL dispute resolution chamber (DRC) on Tuesday.

Kadodia did not rule out the possibility of taking the matter to arbitration should the DRC rule against them, adding the matter is disruptive to their planning for participating in the Betway Premiership next season.

“It could lead to arbitration and how do you continue? How do you plan for next season? How do the players go home and enjoy time with their families?

“I think this is totally inconsiderate. I think the authorities at the DRC or the arbitration level must consider why protests come at this crucial time of the season.”

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